Examining what FSU’s much-needed new tight end, Camren McDonald, brings to the ’Noles

It’s been a year characterized by attrition for Florida State tight ends. Before the 2017 season began, Jeremy Kerr was announced as receiving a medical hardship. Shortly after another win over Florida, Mavin Saunders made his intentions to transfer known. And then after the Seminoles’ bowl win, Ryan Izzo declared early for the NFL Draft.

Sufficed to say, with just Tre’ McKitty, Naseir Upshur, and Alexander Marshall remaining on the roster as scholarship TEs, the ’Noles needed reinforcements, and they successfully added to their tight end ranks by recently signing four-star TE Camren McDonald. You probably know little about him other than that he’s one of the “West Coast ’Noles” whom FSU offered and closed late in the process. Here’s our staff’s glimpse at what McDonald brings to the table in Tallahassee:

McDonald is a 6’4 220-pound tight end prospect with a ton of upside. He really excels as a receiving threat, using his big body, length, and balls skills to make plays at all levels of the field. He shows plus-level ability to win in contested situations and appears to have big hands that allow him to catch the ball away from his body. McDonald also has good feet for his size, projecting him to be an excellent route runner from the tight end position as he continues to develop. In high school, McDonald often split out wide as a receiver and you can expect him to do the same in college in certain packages.

A player like McDonald allows you to be very multiple on offense and create mismatches using his ability to line up with his hand down as a tight end or split wide and match up on linebackers or smaller defensive backs. This can be especially effective in the red zone where space is compressed and matchups are key. Given FSU’s aforementioned thin status at the tight end position, McDonald is one to keep an eye on for the ’Noles as a potential early contributor.